所长

• Pinyin: suǒ zhǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 所 = 户 (door) + 斤 (axe); 长 = pictograph of a person with long hair, meaning elder/head

Meaning

Director; head of an institute or station. The person in charge of a 所 (institute/office).

Used for heads of various institutions: 研究所所长 (director of a research institute), 派出所所长 (chief of a police station). A specific professional title in Chinese organisational structures.

Examples

1. 他是我们研究所的所长。 He is the director of our research institute.
2. 新所长今天正式上任了。 The new director officially took office today.
3. 所长主持了今天的会议。 The director chaired today's meeting.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, official, academic

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 请问所长在办公室吗？(Excuse me, is the director in the office?)
• 所长对这个项目非常重视。(The director places great importance on this project.)

Don't Say

• 超市的所长很热情。(Don't use 所长 for managers of shops or businesses — use 经理 or 店长 instead. 所长 is for heads of institutes, research centres, or police stations.)

Origin & History

所 (institute/station) + 长 (head/leader). Literally 'the head of an institute'.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal